Ewers returns as No. 1 Texas beats No. 18 Oklahoma 34-3 in 1st Red River Rivalry game as SEC members

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Ewers returns as No. 1 Texas beats No. 18 Oklahoma 34-3 in 1st Red River Rivalry game as SEC members

2024-10-13 09:15 Last Updated At：09:20

DALLAS (AP) — Quinn Ewers came back again for No. 1 Texas with another romp over Red River rival Oklahoma, this time in the Southeastern Conference.

Ewers returned four weeks after an abdomen strain to throw for 199 yards with the go-ahead touchdown and ran for another score as the Longhorns overwhelmed 18th-ranked Oklahoma 34-3 on Saturday. It was reminiscent of the quarterback's first Red River game two years ago, when he led Texas to an unprecedented shutout after he missed the previous three games.

“It's been fun the past three years, and I'm super glad to be 2-1, and over .500 in the game,” said Ewers, who two years ago threw four touchdowns in a 49-0 win. “The overall experience and atmosphere is, it’s unbeatable.”

After missing two games since getting hurt in the second half Sept. 14, Ewers overcame a sluggish start and finished 20-of-29 passing. He was sacked for the only time on the game’s first play and threw his only interception on his first pass.

“A rough start, but overall I think we did a good job of overcoming some adversity early,” Ewers said.

Quintrevion Wisner ran for 118 yards and a touchdown for the Longhorns (6-0, 2-0 SEC), and his fumble at the end of another long run was recovered in the end zone by teammate Silas Bolden for a TD. Both of those scores came just before halftime for a 21-3 lead.

The first Red River game under their new conference logo was the 120th in the series that dates to 1900 and has been played annually during the State Fair of Texas since 1929. Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2) won five of the last six times they played while together in the Big 12, but the Longhorns have a 64-51-5 series advantage.

“Getting the Golden Hat (trophy) back is a tremendous honor for these guys to have as part of their legacy here,” Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We’re going to enjoy it, but the journey is far from over. We got more work to do.”

Texas is only halfway through the regular season, and next plays No. 5 Georgia.

The Longhorns went ahead to stay when Ewers rolled to his right, then threw back left to Gunnar Helm for a 7-yard TD early in the second quarter for a 7-3 lead. That was after the Longhorns trailed in a game for the first time this season.

“When the offense was struggling early, we had the defense," Sarkisian said. "We felt like we built a team to do that.”

Michael Hawkins Jr., the first true freshman quarterback to start for Oklahoma against the Longhorns, was 16 of 24 for 120 yards. He ran 20 times for 27 yards, including being sacked five times, while the Sooners had only 225 total yards.

Bolden’s heads-up recovery in the back corner of the end zone with 2:21 left in the first half came at the end of a 36-yard run by Wisner, who had the ball knocked out by Robert Spears-Jennings inside the 5.

Hawkins fumbled on the first play after the 2-minute timeout, stripped by Anthony Hill Jr., and Wisner had a 43-yard TD on the next snap.

“What I was most disappointed in was the defensive side of the ball,” said Sooners coach Brent Venables, whose Sooners gave up 406 yards. “We’re capable of playing in a more consistent, precise way.”

Texas: Arch Manning won both of his starts while Ewers was out, but Sarkisian was clear throughout that there was no quarterback controversy. Ewers had returned to practice before last week's open date and was ready to go in the rivalry game near his hometown of Southlake.

Oklahoma: With their receiving corps decimated by injuries — five receivers were out — and the rushing game non-existent, the Sooners put a heavy load on the freshman quarterback starting the rivalry game in his hometown. They won his first start at Auburn, but their only score Saturday was Tyler Keltner's 42-yard field goal on their first possession, after Billy Bowman's interception at the UT 45.

The Longhorns have fallen out of the No. 1 spot after winning a game this season, and finished before No. 2 Ohio State played at No. 3 Oregon on Saturday night. But Texas should be in the top spot for the fourth poll this season, which would be their most since the final six of the 1977 regular season. The Sooners could fall out of the Top 25 for the first time this year.

Texas: The Longhorns already have a win this season defending national champion Michigan, and next Saturday host the team that won the 2021 and 2022 national titles.

Oklahoma: Home for the first time in four weeks to play South Carolina next Saturday.

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No. 23 Illinois outlasts Purdue 50-49 in overtime on sack on 2-point conversion

2024-10-13 09:01 Last Updated At：09:10

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Luke Altmyer threw a 25-yard touchdown pass in overtime to Pat Bryant, and Dylan Rosiek sacked Purdue's Ryan Browne on a 2-point conversion attempt to give No. 23 Illinois a 50-49 victory Saturday.

Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) had lost four straight and seven of its last eight against Purdue (1-5, 0-3). The Illini hadn’t beaten the Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium since 2010.

Illinois’ David Alano made a 38-yard field goal as time expired to tie it at 43 after Purdue rallied to take the lead for the first time.

Ahrmad Branch, on his only carry of the day, scored on a 3-yard run in OT for the Boilermakers.

Purdue coach Ryan Walters said he went for the 2-point conversion in OT “because we were in control of the game at that point. We clawed back in the game, something we hadn’t done this season, and I wanted to give us a chance to win. I hate losing.”

Altmyer completed 20 of 34 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns. Josh McCray ran for 78 yards and two TDs and caught a scoring pass. Bryant caught four passes for 104 yards.

“We did enough bad things to give them the game,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “If you let a team stick around like that, that’s what happens. I still think we’re a good team knocking on the door of doing something cool.”

Browne, a redshirt freshman making his first career start with Hudson Card sidelined by a concussion, rushed for 118 yards on 17 carries and completed 18 of 26 passes for 297 yards and three TDs after throwing for just 9 yards in the first half.

Max Klare caught six passes for 133 yards for Purdue. Devin Mockobee ran for 102 yards on 11 carries.

Down 27-3 at halftime, Purdue launched a comeback.

“We executed. We didn't panic,” Walters said.

The Boilermakers scored two TDs in eight seconds on 53-yard pass from Browne to Jahmal Edrine and a sack of Altmyer by Nyland Green that caused a fumble that Will Heldt returned 16 yards for TD.

After Browne threw a 62-yard strike to Klare on a double-reverse flea flicker, a 24-yard field goal by Spencer Porath made it 27-20. Altmyer ended Purdue’s surge with a 13-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.

The Boilermakers responded with an 8-yard TD pass from Browne to Jaron Tibbs and a 2-point conversion pass from Browne to Klare, but McCray scored on a 3-yard run to make it 40-28.

Purdue cut the lead to 40-35 with 1:35 left on a 2-yard TD run by Mockobee.

After Ben Freehill recovered an onside kick, the Boilermakers scored again on a 13-yard pass from Brown to Mockobee and a 2-point conversion pass from Browne to Edrine with 46 seconds left to move in front for the first time at 43-40.

THE TAKEAWAY

Illinois: Now that the Illini have vanquished the Boilermakers, the biggest thorn in their side over the past several years, they can focus on back-to-back huge Big Ten games to end the month. They’ll host No. 24 Michigan next week in the culmination of a season-long celebration of Memorial Stadium’s 100th anniversary and travel to No. 3 Oregon the following week.

Purdue: The Boilermakers dropped their fifth straight after a season-opening win over Indiana State, and the Boilermakers have to go up against three of the country’s top four teams (Oregon, Oho State and Penn State) in the next four games.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Beating one of the country’s worst teams by just one point in overtime shouldn’t propel Illinois higher in the AP Top 25. But the Illini shouldn’t drop, either, because they did what they needed to do against a foe that was desperate for a win.

TOP RUSHER OUT

Illinois rushing leader Kaden Feagin missed the game because of a hyperextended left leg, suffered in practice during the week. Bielema said Feagan will be out “for a little bit.” Feagin had gained 306 yards on 67 carries and run for three touchdowns in Illinois' first five games.

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